South Africa Rugby has rejected claims that ticket sales for the upcoming Nations Championship match against England at Ellis Park will be low. The Springboks are set to face Steve Borthwick’s England team today in Johannesburg, marking England’s first visit to the stadium in eight years.

Earlier reports suggested that the stadium, considered the spiritual home of South African rugby, would see a substantial number of empty seats due to high ticket prices for the fixture. However, South Africa Rugby described these reports as “erroneous and misinformed,” expressing confidence that Ellis Park would be near capacity for the opening game of the new competition.

This match comes amid a busy international schedule for the reigning world champions under coach Rassie Erasmus. South Africa is set to face Wales and Scotland later in July before hosting a three-test series against New Zealand as part of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

In a statement addressing the concerns, South Africa Rugby emphasized that projections indicating attendance around just over 21,000 were inaccurate and unrepresentative of actual ticket sales or anticipated fan interest. The organization remains optimistic about strong support for the Springboks as they begin their campaign.